My Hero Academia is one of the most popular anime series around, following the adventures of the heir apparent to that universe’s version of Superman in All Might. With Midoriya finally being granted a “quirk”, a super power that is granted to nearly every member of this franchise’s world, he enrolls at UA Academy to not just become one of the greatest super heroes in the world, but to become the new “Symbol of Peace”. While a live action stage play has been recently announced, a live action feature length film is still on the drawing board.
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Last year, Legendary Pictures announced that they are working on a live action film to follow this unique heroic anime adaptation, though no release date has been given for the adaptation. With this in mind, we’ve thought of five different things that should be kept in mind if trying to create a live action adaptation for the world of My Hero Academia!
Be Like Marvel
Love it or hate it, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is a success. Creating numerous films that follow some of the biggest heroes and their interaction with one another have taken lesser known comic book characters and ingratiated themselves to fans the world over. With over twenty films and ten years under its belt, the MCU hasn’t just netted billions of dollars in profits, but created a fully fleshed out world where the stories of their characters live on with each subsequent story. My Hero Academia would do well to follow the formula that was established by Marvel Studios.
Don’t Be Like Marvel
Wait, but didn’t I just say…? I know what I said. Tons of “Cinematic Universes” have attempted to do what Marvel did and fell to the wayside. My Hero Academia has several spin-off series such as My Hero Academia: Vigilantes but it is first and foremost the story of Midoriya and his goal of becoming the next “Symbol of Peace”. The first film should simply focus on him and the world around him, rather than attempting to build a “Cinematic Universe”. Start small and then expand from there.
Stick To The Material
My Hero Academia benefits from being its “own world” outside of our own. It lives and breathes with citizens that inherited “quirks” and super powers, creating an intricate and compelling universe. We don’t need Midoriya’s name to be different for his character to be more relatable or for All Might to look more like Superman. The universe works for what it is and would translate well if the first feature length adaptation followed the events of the first season.
Focus On The Students
The students of Class 1-A at UA Academy are the heart and soul of My Hero Academia. While the franchise will often swing to the perspective of adult heroes and villains as the series moves forward, its in Midoriya and his friends that audiences get not just a unique viewpoint of the world, but a genuine sense of drama and danger for these aspiring professional heroes. Focusing on young heroes learning under seasoned heroes would make for a fantastic movie and hey, it worked in the past.
Speaking of which….
Make It Sky High
Have you guys seen Disney’s Sky High? It was a live action movie that was basically My Hero Academia, and let me tell you, it worked. Following the prestigious Stronghold family, a unit of heroes that appear as the standard nuclear family, the youngest son Will is struggling with the fact that he has no powers. While attending Sky High, a school for aspiring heroes, he eventually is able to master his powers and follow the path to becoming a professional hero. Sounds familiar right?
While the movie wasn’t HUGELY successful, it was pretty much a My Hero Academia movie before the franchise existed and it would be well worth the anime’s time to take some notes on the previous work!
